70 THE AMERICAN MIDLAND NATURALIST 



any snake or lizard, which is not too large or too active to be overpowered 

 and swallowed, may be taken as food. 



The most common item in the diet of the milk snake is mice. Surface 

 (1906, 178) showed from his studies of this species that mice constituted 

 71 1/2% of the food and that the destructive meadow mouse (Microtus) alone 

 made up 48y2% of the total. A specimen collected in Pike County, Ohio, 

 disgorged two young mice of undetermined species. Other food includes birds 

 5y2%> snakes 6%, undetermined mammals 11%, undetermined vertebrates 

 3%, etc. (Surface, loc. cit.). From the above studies and those of various 

 authors it is clearly shown that the milk snake is one of the most valuable 

 snakes from the standpoint of human economics and certainly deserves pro- 

 tection. 



Specimens ordinarily are not hardy as captives. At the Toledo Zoo only 

 one out of many adults accepted food; it devoured 3 white mice which it dis- 

 gorged the next day. Several juveniles, however, ate young snakes of other 

 species. The milk snake has many of the same habits as the king snake and 

 like the latter it is a constrictor and overcomes its prey in its coils. 



The milk snake is oviparous. An individual 34 inches in length collected 

 at Monclova, Lucas County, May 23, 1930, deposited 16 eggs in captivity 

 during the night of June 28, 1930. These were white, oval and with smooth 

 leathery shells; measurements averaged 30 mm. in length by 16 mm. in width. 

 A group of 17 eggs (possibly laid by 2 females) was discovered under a bark 

 slab on a decaying sawdust pile near Mansfield, Richland County, June 26, 

 1932. All were white except for 6 which were stained with blood; the entire 

 set was adherent and the eggs were arranged roughly in two layers, one above 

 the other. Measurements were from 25 to 35, average 28.1 mm., in length 

 and from 17 to 20, average 18.5 mm., in width. All failed to hatch. 



No juveniles were hatched in captivity but from the condition of the navel 

 scar in several young collected in late summer or fall a number were judged 

 to be but recently out of the egg. These varied from 8% to 9% inches in 

 length. 



Natrix erythrogaster erythrogaster (Forsfer) 



Red-Bellied Water Snake; Red-Belly 



Description. — A medium to large snake attaining a length of about four and 

 a half feet. Largest adult Ohio specimen ( 9 ), 55^ inches in length; smallest 

 newly born juvenile, 8% inches. Head medium and slightly wider than neck. 

 Eye medium, but somewhat larger than in the common water snake. Head 

 plates normal except that the two nasals are arranged in an oblique plane so 

 that the nostril between them is directed both sideward and somewhat upward. 

 Loreal present. Body slender in young to stout in adults. Tail slim to 

 medium stout. 



Dorsal scale rows usually 23-21-19-17 or 21-23-21-19-17, and less often 

 21-19-17, but occasionally exhibiting a maximum of 25. Scales keeled. Upper 

 labials 8, rarely 7; lower labials 10, 9, 11 or 8, occurring less frequently in the 



